CCTV Systems – It’s Not Just About Security
Friday, October 1st, 2010Although we tend to think of CCTV systems being used to help reduce crime on our streets, or being placed in strategic positions in shops and factories, there are other uses for CCTV cameras.
One of these uses is concerned with town planning. A city council in the north of England used CCTV equipment to help them determine the traffic flow at a junction where major changes were to be made. This junction was a complicated intersection consisting of two main trunk roads and three local roads. Before any work could begin, it was necessary to carry out an analysis of traffic flow. The usual method employed to do this is to use council staff as observers who would sit by each junction and count the vehicles passing.
The council decided that this was not only expensive but also not a very accurate method of gauging a complete week’s traffic twenty four hours a day. Another problem was that although traffic flow could be counted at the junctions, it would be difficult to determine once the vehicles had passed the particular spot in question.
With all of these factors in mind, the council opted to use CCTV systems to monitor the traffic flow. There was a multi-storey car park right in the centre of the intersection and the CCTV cameras were mounted on the building which covered every junction and allowed the council to compile an accurate report of the traffic flow. This is just one example of how CCTV equipment can be used for many purposes, and not just as a tool for cutting crime.